What are reason for the check engine light to come on and off and when a different person drives it. When it comes on? I guess I am looking for other opinions when I drive it I drive it respectfully but the owner bit of a speed lover.
View 14 RepliesI have a 2000 Subaru Outback. The check engine light has been coming off and on for the past couple weeks, but today the light started flashing. The car is running a little funny - not accelerating well and shaking when I start it. What's wrong with it?
View 4 RepliesMy 2007 Outback has had an off-idle stumble since I bought it a year ago. Otherwise runs well and uses less gas than the 2000 Forester it replaced. I've had a smoke test done, cleaned the throttle body, replaced front oxy sensor, and used a variety of gas treatments. I don't trust the local Subaru dealer to work on my car and my local garage has run out of ideas, but suggested MAF sensor may work. Some days it runs better than others. Occasionally I'll see a check engine light P0171 (lean) or P0420 (cat) but it will go weeks between setting those.
View 9 RepliesMy 2010 Subaru Outback recently surprised the hell out of me by simultaneously turning on the brake warning light, the traction control light, the check engine light and (just for a bonus!) disabled my cruise control while flashing the cruise control light. I pulled over, quickly surmising that all of those systems could not have failed at 70 MPH without instantaneous death to either me or the vehicle. Both apparently still being alive, I tried turning the car on an off to reset the lights. No go. Subaru was not going to miss this chance to get me to the dealership! (who I had avoided to this point!) As I was far away from home and the car being very healthy, it seemed, I decided to drive on. I proceeded to put a couple of hundred more miles on the car before I got back to town.
My car had 39,000 miles on it, 3,000 miles beyond the warranty end. I learned that I have an error code of P0171, "Fuel Trim Malfunction (Air/Fuel too lean)". So I guess I'm wondering about a few things...why would this sensor set off every light on my dashboard and disable my cruise control? Seems a bit overblown for running a bit lean. My gut tells me Subaru has a sensor/software problem they are not owning up to. I'm a big fan of conspiracy theories and this really smells like one...
Second, jeez, I'm only 3K miles over warranty, don't you think they'd cut me some slack. I mean I love my Subaru, or did anyway, until this happened. Now it's just another POS car that breaks for no apparent reason...
What would cause the vechile to die randomly, while driving? have check all ground wires, coolant, spark plugs, air filter, and changed fuel filter. no check engine lights come on.
View 2 RepliesMy 2004 Outback now has 120K, has always been maintained and repaired at the dealership (except tires and battery), and has always run great! I've had the plastick-y parts replaced over the last few years including head gaskets when one cracked and made smoke. In July I got a jump from a AAA tow truck, who said my battery tested as needing replacement.
In September my check engine light went on, and the dealer found the code PO420-catalyst system efficiency. They didn't seem to look any further into causes. The cat converter replacement was to cost $2521. They reportedly tested the battery as OK as part of their routine checkup. I declined the new cat converter till learning more. Meanwhile, my check engine light seemed to cycle on, then off, then on, then off . . . every several days.
In December I had the battery checked at Sears, who replaced it under warranty. So I guess it wasn't okay after all. After that my check engine light stayed off for somewhat longer than usual, then back on for most of January. I was just about to give in and get the repair done when it cycled off briefly a few days ago.
I've lost trust in the dealership because of their battery check which differed from others before and after theirs; and for their lack of specific diagnostics. The light is back on and I don't know what to do next.
I have a 2009 Subaru impreza outback sport, that guzzles oil. As soon as I reached 6,500 miles (having changed the oil the 1st Time at 3,000 miles) all of my interior check lights came on. 1st my tire pressure light came on then check engine light, then every warning light I had. I took it to the dealer and they told me my oil was dangerously low.
There were no leaks so they told me whomever changed my oil last clearly didn't fill it all the way. Low and behold about 3500 miles later the same thing happened. Unfortunately due to a broken arm I swapped cars with a family member (my Subaru is a stick) and couldn't take it back to the dealership, just had the family member fill it with oil. Eventually had it checked again by a different mechanic, again no leaks, no explanation. Now I just make sure every 3,000 miles I get my oil changed.
I've got a 2006 B9 with about 64,000 miles. Just a bit ago my check engine and ABS light came on, along with my cruise light flashing.
After researching a little bit on the forums and couldn't find an answer, I took it into the dealer, to which I was told that there was a bad oil pressure sensor for the right-hand side of the motor. I had them replace it out, and less than 20 miles down the road, the same lights appeared on my instrument cluster, and I took it back to the dealer. They informed me that there was now a bad sensor on the left hand side that would be another $380. I scheduled an appointment for later next week, and had them reset the error.
On the same day, about 2 hours later the lights reappeared on my dash, and I took the car over to a local parts store, where I used their scanner and the car now spit the following errors:
Camshaft position actuator A - Bank 1 timing over advan.
Camshaft position actuator A - Bank 2 timing over advan
Cam/crankshaft pos. correlation sensor A - Bank 2
Cam/crankshaft pos. Correlation sensor A - Bank 1
Camshaft position actuator A bank 1 timing over - advan
Camshaft position adctuator A bank 2 timing over -advan
Cam/crankshaft pos correlation sensor A - bank 1
I reset the codes, and waited another day for the lights to reappear on the dash. Again, I rescanned the errors, and found the same top 5 codes that I listed above.
Is there something more major going on here with the computer?
Had an issue with "check" engine light turning on and "cruise" control light flashing, intermittently. Dealer said we had dirty oil contaminating some solenoid valves in the system but we had just done an oil change and do so every 3-5K (car has 170K). They recommended switching around the sensors and doing an "oil flush" with another oil change. The warning light problem hasn't recurred, in the past month, since we started giving the gas cap a few extra turns after a fill-up. We're getting ready to buy a new car and don't want to give what might be a serious problem over to the next owner.
View 6 RepliesI have a 2007 L.L. Bean Edition Forester. The cruise light is flashing and check engine light is solid. I am well into my retirement age and nearest dealer is about 2 hours away. Is this something that local mechanic can fix? He is very good, but not Subaru schooled. I'm afraid to drive it now.
View 2 RepliesI bought my Subaru in 2004 with 14,000 miles on it. The check engine light began coming on soon thereafter. The Subaru dealer has replaced my catalytic converter (the so-called problem) -- 3 TIMES up to 85,000 miles. The check engine has continued to come on and it goes off since then. Mostly, it's on, but now and then, it goes off. I bought my own diagnostics kit because I got tired of taking it in every time the light came on. I'm told it's the usual problems plus they usually have me get the oxygen sensor repaired. I've also been told to make sure my gas cap is tightly closed. Still the check engine light continues to come on and now and then it goes off (it's currently "on").
View 4 RepliesEngine light came on two weeks ago. Had the code read at Advance Auto Parts. Code = P0420. The only performance issue was that it stalled when I started it the other day for the first time since I bought it last fall. Are there any other clues to tell what it could mean (catalytic converter vs. 02 sensor vs. anything else)? Is it really worth trying some kind of catalytic converter cleaner product?
View 1 RepliesMy car will drive fine, then @ 60 mph or above sometimes it will sputter and the check engine light will blink on. I brought it to my mechanic and plugged it in. Miss-fire on some spark plugs. They replaced all spark plugs and wires. The car is sill doing the same thing. My mechanic plugged it in again and now just a miss fire on #2 plug. (even after new wires and plug) Only seems to happen once the car is warmed up. If left sitting for 15 hrs the check engine light goes off completely. Only to come on again, after driven 25 or more miles. What could be wrong?
View 10 RepliesSo recently i knowingly purchased a car with a blown head gasket. Got it fixed at the mechanics and also changed the timing belt / serviced the car. The car also had intermittent check engine light however the mechanic said it was just the O2 sensor or something and it wasn't worth fixing ($300 to replace it).
Now the car (automatic subaru liberty) drove fine for the last two weeks but my brother took it out to go to the snow and on the return trip the car starting to emit loud clunking sounds from the engine, the brake system warning light also came on and power was reduced and my brother pulled over, and checked it out. The car starts, but its only limited to around 15km even when flooring the car. The car free revs in neutral but emits a cracking sound.
Do you think the transmission shit itself? On cold mornings the car would take about 1-2 seconds to change engage drive / reverse.
I have a 2002 Forester I have take it to 4 shops and each shop tells me something different. First 2 say to take it to the dealer and have them flash the computer. The dealer says that it is a faulty drain valve and the fourth states he has never heard of a drain valve. Hook up to a scanner and can not clear light. Unhooked battery for 30 minutes light was off for a minute but came back on. Getting extremely frustrated!
View 11 RepliesI have a 2001 forester. it had a misfire which has been fixed but I can't get the "check engine" light to turn off.
View 3 RepliesOur beloved 2004 Subaru Forester has the check engine light on. We've been told that the 4th cylinder has either low or no compression. Is this fixable/worth fixing? Would you replace the engine? The car has 183K miles on it, and runs great! It is stuttering now, due to this issue, but otherwise - runs great and is in good condition!
View 11 Repliesmy 92 subaru check engine light has been on for months. I took it to my mostly-trusted mechanic. He hooked it up to the computer and the car did not give any codes. He reset the light, but it came right back on when started. I am wondering about the coolant temp sensor but I would expect that would give a code. Why won't a check engine light give a code?
View 3 RepliesIs it impossible for a simple woodworker to fix a problem with the left dash light failure?
View 1 RepliesRecurring intermittent problem with the AC. It has been in and out of the shop three times in the past year. First time, a basic checkup with service to specs. Worked okay for six weeks or so. Second time, revolution sensor replaced. Worked okay for a little over six months. Next time, revolution sensor replaced under warranty. No change - problem still there. Dealer shop wants to replace compressor/clutch assembly. I'm not convinced. The problem only occurs in the morning after the engine has been at rest overnight .
No AC until the engine warms up and the engine is switched off and then on again. You can check it after a few minutes and no AC. Shut down the engine after 20 minutes or so, turn it back on, AC is good and will be good for the rest of the day, even if the engine is at rest for a few hours. Next morning, same drill. There is a three wire connector at the clutch with one black wire running to the clutch. I am unsure what voltage I can check there to see if the system is calling for clutch engagement. How I can narrow it down to clutch/compressor malfunction or some other sensor problem?
Riding on the highway to the summit of Vail Pass, car loses power, check engine light goes on, by the time I maneuver it past huge trucks to right shoulder, BAM!!!! White steam radiator fluid explosion dead car....mechanic says "small block" (I think) broken, need new engine. Towing it back to my guys who sold me the car about 2 months ago with reconditioned engine & brand new head gaskets.
View 19 Replies